A deadly crash shut down lanes of northbound Interstate 15 near Clairemont Mesa Boulevard early Monday morning, with officials confirming one person died after a chaotic pileup involving multiple vehicles. The collision was first reported around 3:30 a.m., snarling traffic right as San Diego commuters were beginning their day.
According to 10News, the crash happened in the northbound lanes of the freeway and involved multiple vehicles. The outlet reported that one person has died, though additional details about the collision were not immediately available.
Incident logs tracked by chpfatal.com show the crash was first called in at approximately 3:32 a.m. as a two-vehicle collision. Updates to that same incident record later noted that more vehicles were colliding into the scene, a discrepancy that has not been resolved between the two accounts of exactly how many cars were ultimately involved.
Lanes Blocked, Then a Hard Closure
The same incident information indicates the crash initially blocked the number one lane and the middle lane of the freeway, with vehicles later reported in the fast lane as well. Responders determined a hard closure would be necessary, requiring traffic to be diverted off I-15 at Clairemont Mesa, per the chpfatal.com log.
That hard closure ultimately pushed northbound drivers onto State Route 52 as an alternate route, the same source notes. Drivers in the area were advised to avoid the freeway altogether as traffic slowed and backed up in the predawn hours.
A Freeway With a History of Major Closures
This stretch of I-15 has seen serious incidents before. A fatal crash on June 11 shut down all northbound lanes just north of State Route 76, forcing a diversion at SR-76 while investigators worked the scene, according to Fox 5 San Diego. Motorists were urged that day to avoid the area if possible and build extra time into their morning commute. Those northbound lanes did not fully reopen until around 8:50 a.m., per the same report.
Just a few months later, on Aug. 21, a separate multi-vehicle crash struck the southbound lanes near this same Clairemont Mesa Boulevard corridor around 2:10 p.m. Fox 5 San Diego reported that crash involved four vehicles — a silver Toyota truck, a silver SUV, a dark blue Lexus SUV and a silver sedan — and sent four people to the hospital, including two in critical condition.
As of Monday morning, additional details about Monday's fatal crash, including the identities of those involved and the cause of the collision, had not been released. 10News reported that further information was not immediately available, and officials have not provided an updated timeline for when all lanes are expected to reopen.
